Important to Me
by littlespider
Summary: "Jounin shinobi and master of the Woodstyle or not, nearly a week of suppressing the massive Nine-Tails chakra was starting to take its toll." While helping Kakashi train Naruto, Yamato learns a thing or two about friendship and his own limits.


This is a little insert to _Naruto Shippuden_, Episode 74. If Yamato was that worn out after just one day of training with Naruto, just imagine what he must of felt like after five days of it. I'm also assuming that controlling the Nine-Tail's chakra is more difficult and strenuous than any standard jutsu.

Basically, it's just an excuse for some Yamato whumping and Senpai-Kohai bromance, though I guess if you could read it like yaoi if you squint.

Disclaimer: Naruto, it's characters and plots do not belong to me.

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><p>Yamato blinked wearily against the sweat that dripped down his forehead and into his eyes. When that didn't seem to clear the blur from his vision, the jounin tried again, shaking his head a little as well. No luck. He could still see Naruto and his clones up on the waterfall platform, as well as Kakashi standing at the base of the waterfall, but both figures seemed hazy, as though he were looking at them through the heat of a fire. He was pretty sure the other shinobi were talking, but he couldn't make out what they were saying past the strange rushing in his ears.<p>

With a sigh, Yamato shifted uncomfortably. Jounin shinobi and master of the Woodstyle or not, nearly a week of suppressing the massive Nine-Tails chakra was starting to take its toll. Yamato's head throbbed rhythmically in time with his heart, his vision blurry and his arms numb from holding them in position for so long. Never before had he been so aware of the heat of the sun beating down on the back of his neck and the hard feel of the ground he sat on. Although Yamato had a larger amount of chakra and better chakra control than most, he was still nowhere near the level of power Naruto had and, despite the confidence everyone else seemed to have in his abilities to control the Nine-Tails, he was really starting to feel the strain.

So far he'd managed to laugh off his fatigue and push through for Naruto's sake, and thankfully Kakashi was too preoccupied with their hyperactive and easily frustrated pupil to notice. Yamato sighed and shifted again. It had been so long since he and Kakashi had spent this much time together, since their time together in the ANBU Black Ops, in fact. He'd almost forgotten how much he enjoyed being around the older man and how much he admired him. Deep down Yamato knew that, even after all this time, he was still little Tenzou the ANBU newbie trying to impress his senpai. So there was no way he was going to let a little discomfort on his part get in the way of Kakashi's genius new training method.

"Tenzou?"

Yamato jumped, thoroughly caught off guard. He'd been so lost in his self-motivating thoughts that he had failed to notice Kakashi walking to his side. He tried to laugh of his shock, but quickly stopped when the laugh turned into a sharp cough. He could feel his cheeks burning red with embarrassment. So much for impressing Kakashi.

"You can't sneak up on a man like that when he's concentrating, Kakashi," Yamato said quickly, keeping his tone light.

Had he been more aware, he would've noticed the confused and slightly concerned look Kakashi gave him, his visible eyebrow slightly raised. "You look a little pale, Tenzou. Maybe we should take a break."

"Nah, I'm fine." Yamato responded, his tone somehow managing to convince even himself. "So long as Naruto's still got the stamina, I'm ready to go. Besides, it's Yamato."

"Are you sure?" Kakashi asked, coming down into a squat next to his former squad member. "We can't have you collapsing of chakra exhaustion."

This time Yamato's laugh was completely involuntary. "Oh right, you're one to talk. I'm pretty sure you were the ANBU captain with the highest hospitalization rate, and it was always for chakra exhaustion! So if I'm stubborn, that's something I picked up from you, Senpai."

"Alright, as long as you're sure." Kakashi squeezed his shoulder briefly before standing and heading back over to read is Icha-Icha Paradise book on the shady bench.

That small gesture of friendly appreciation alone kept Yamato going for another three hours.

But as the sun began to set and Naruto still showed no signs of slowing down, Yamato was forced to admit that he might have pushed himself too far. His chest was tight and burning, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. If his arms had been numb before, now they were numb and shaking, and Yamato honestly didn't know if he would be able to move once they did take a break.

Kakashi was standing at the base of the waterfall again, calling up to the young blonde shinobi still training on the platform above. "Alright, Naruto, dispel the clones and come down. I think that's enough for today."

"But Kakashi-sensei, I really think I'm getting there! Just another couple of-"

"Help!" A group of clones off to the far left side of the platform, who had continued training while the original Naruto spoke to Kakashi, cried out in fear. One of their number had begun sprouting the bright orange, ominous chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox. It shoved a few clones off the platform, who fell screaming until they disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"Yamato!" Kakashi's sharp order rang out, managing to cut through the haze of exhaustion that had settled over the Woodstyle-user's mind. Yamato blinked and forced his shaking hands to make the necessary hand signs before placing both hands in front of him on the ground. His protective wooden structures burst to life, springing up from the ground and rushing towards the transformed clone. It dodged the first few strikes, but then Yamato finally succeeded, piercing the clone's body with the wooden animals and pinning him to the platform. There was one tense moment before the clone disappeared in smoke.

"Nice work, Yamato," Kakashi called back to the younger man. "See Naruto, you're at your limit. It's too dangerous to continue training when you don't have full control. Come on down."

Behind his Senpai, Yamato was slumped over on all fours breathing heavily, his shaking arms barely able to support his weight. His heart was pounding wildly and his vision kept greying over. Was this the cost of the First Hokage's power? Yamato had never really had a need to use this power before meeting Naruto, let alone for such an extended period of time.

Yamato could feel Kakashi and Naruto's steps through the ground as they walked back toward him. Kakashi called out to him, his voice concerned. "Yamato, you alright?"

Yamato raised his head to answer, a smart-ass comment already on his tongue, when a sharp pain lanced through his chest like a knife to the heart. He gasped harshly, only for the air to get seemingly stuck in his throat and dislodged by a hacking cough that splattered the ground with blood. Yamato squinted blearily at the red liquid staining the dirt in front of him. Was that… his blood? From suppressing the Nine-Tails?

"S-senpai…"

"Tenzou!" The pounding in the ground got stronger as Yamato finally collapsed forward, his vision going black.

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><p>When Yamato finally woke, it was to the sound of a crackling fire under the starry night sky. He was tucked into his sleeping roll, blanket pulled up to his chin. Breathing deeply, Yamato remained completely still and took a silent inventory of his body. His limbs felt like lead, but at least they weren't numb anymore and the pounding in his head seemed to have stopped. His chest still ached fiercely, but all in all it could have been worse. Yamato coughed quietly, the cool evening air irritating his dry throat.<p>

"Tenzou." A strong yet gentle hand slipped behind his neck, raising him up slightly as another brought a small cup to his mouth. "Drink this."

The cool water seemed to revive Yamato a bit and when he was laid back down, his head felt clearer. He turned his head, seeking the owner of those helping hands. "Kakashi-senpai."

Sure enough, Kakashi sat beside him on his own bed roll, knees tucked up under his chin. He'd removed his hitai-ate and wore instead a look of barely contained relief. "You gave me quite the scare there, Kohai."

Yamato gave a small sheepish grin before forcing himself upright. The movement sent pain lancing through his chest again, but with Kakashi's help, he managed an easy sitting position. "What happened?"

"You did exactly what I warned you not to do and pushed yourself too far," Kakashi explained, sighing in exasperation. "You collapsed from chakra exhaustion."

"Chakra exhaustion?" That's right. Yamato rubbed absently at his neck, as though that could alleviate the dull ache in his throat. "Did- did I cough up blood?"

Kakashi nodded. "That's what had me so worried. I've never seen chakra exhaustion to cause something like that. Poor Naruto was so freaked out that he sent a clone to go get help and came back with Lady Tsunade herself!"

Yamato started in shock. "Really? Lady Hokage came all the way here to see… me?"

"That's right," Kakashi replied before lightly punching Yamato's shoulder. "When are you going to get it through your head that you're extremely important to this village? So long as Naruto hasn't mastered control of the Nine-Tails, you're the only one capable of controlling him."

"How could I forget?" Yamato asked quietly, his gaze sliding to focus on the crackling fire. "Isn't that why they've controlled my entire life? Why they've kept me hidden behind a mask and a codename all this time?"

Yamato had always lived in the shadows. Most of the shinobi he had grown up with were either dead or had left ANBU to become normal jounin. Only he stayed put in ANBU, given no choice as the Hidden Leaf's last defense against the tailed beasts. Yamato understood the necessity, but it was a lonely life. It had kept him from old friends like Kakashi and from forming new bonds like he had with Team Kakashi, while placing on him a responsibility that he wasn't sure he wanted to bear.

"You're also important to me, Tenzou." Kakashi spoke so quietly that Yamato almost didn't hear him. "I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but you were one of the reasons I felt I could leave ANBU. I knew that as long as you were alive, there was someone else I could trust with the protection of the village, of our friends. And someone else who could understand my pain."

Yamato was still, watching Kakashi has the masked jounin rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. When Yamato had joined ANBU, he and Kakashi had bonded quickly as two young men who knew what it meant to lose it all. Kakashi was still reeling from the death of his father, mentor, and teammates, while Yamato was struggling to adapt to life outside of the strict confines of the Foundation. They found each other through those struggles, and were bonded for life. But it wasn't really the shinobi way to reveal these feelings and the two men had never talked about it openly before.

Kakashi offered him a masked smile, both eyes turning down into little half moons. "I guess what I'm trying to say, Tenzou, is that you matter to me, no matter where you are or how long we are apart. As Naruto would say, you're one of my precious people. So I need you to try taking better care of yourself."

Yamato gazed across the fire at the sleeping figure of Naruto. That little goof really did have a huge impact on those around him. Yamato couldn't imagine Kakashi would have been able to have this conversation with him back when they were in ANBU. He nodded carefully, his sore body protesting even at that slight movement. "I'll try, Senpai. It's just… Naruto is so strong and capable of so many amazing things. I just didn't want to hold him back."

"Naruto may be strong, but he's a bit in denial about his own humanity," Kakashi chuckled, also watching as Nartuo shifted in his sleep a bit, drooling on his pillow. "Between you and me, he might actually get more out of this training if he took more breaks to compile his clone's knowledge and regain his strength. So the next time you want to push through for his sake, don't."

Hm, he'd never thought of it that way. Yamato sighed. "Alright, if you say so. I guess you know best."

Kakashi scoffed, breaking off a piece of a ration bar and helping Yamato guide it to his mouth. "Of course I know best, my little Kohai. Now try to eat something and get some sleep. Lady Tsunade told us that you would probably be fine by morning, so don't expect Naruto to go that easy on you."

Swallowing his bite of ration bar, Yamato groaned softly. "I can't wait. And, Senpai?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."


End file.
